Fairy Tail
by Yaushibee
Summary: Luke is runaway teenager who wants to become a full-fledged mage and join a certain famous mage guild. While on his travels, he encounters a strange girl named Natsu and her blue dog companion. Turns out there's more to these two than Luke first thinks? Join Luke, Natsu, Happy, and all of Fairy Tail in this gender bent retelling of the entire manga series.


**Disclaimer:** Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima.

* * *

"E-excuse me, ma'am?"

The train conductor hovered over the woman sprawled out half in her seat and half on the floor. He got only groans in response as the woman laid her head back dizzily on the wooden bench. She looked sickly pail and was panting. Over his many years of working as a conductor, the man had never seen anyone get this motion sick before. "A-are you okay?" He asked worriedly.

"Aye." A furry blue dog answered for the woman. "This happens all the time."

The conductor eyed them warily but nodded and left to go about his business.

"T-this is impossible." The sickly woman groaned as she wobbly stood, leaning against the train window for support. "I will never ride a train, ever again..." She tried to continue but the bile rose up in her throat and she quickly turned her head out the window.

The dog ignored her grumbling. "If the info we got is correct, the Salamander should be in this town. Let's go."

"L-let me rest of awhile."

"Okay."

The dog walked on, skirting around busy people rushing onto the train as she exited it and onto the emptying platform. She stopped off to the side to wait for her partner to join her but as the loud train whistles sounded and the train started pulling away, it was too late. The little dog just watched on, her partner's wails fading as the train pulled away from the station again.

"Ah. It departed."

* * *

"Eeeh!? There's only one magic store in this town?"

The shrill cry of the man filtered out of the open door of the tiny shop, pouring out into the bustling streets of Hargeon and startling passersby. The old woman behind the counter shook her head and gave a weak smile to the customer. "Yes, this town is more prosperous in fishing than magic to begin with. With less than ten percent of the towns population being magic-users, this store is mainly here to target traveling mages."

The man leaned back and sighed, looking disappointed. "I think I've wasted my time." He muttered quietly but the store owner caught it.

"Please don't say that. Just have a look around, I'm sure you'll find something. We even have new items in stock." The woman bent down and pulled something from behind the counter. As she leaned back up, she put on her best sales-woman smile, the action pushing up her button nose and stretching out her lips to look even thinner. "This 'Colors' magic is very popular among the youths these days." She said, showing off the item in her hands. "Depending on your mood, you can change the color of your outfit—"

"I already have it." The male interrupted, absentmindedly examining a strange canister that he picked up off the shelf. He set it back down and turned his attention to the glass display case behind him. "I'm looking for Gate Keys, strong ones."

"Gates, huh?" The shopkeeper mused. "That's quite uncommon."

"Ah!" The man suddenly exclaimed, pressing his hands and face against the glass case excitedly. "The White Dog!"

"But that's not strong at all..." The shopkeeper's voice trailed off uncertainly.

The blonde man waved her off as he stood straight again, still eyeing the silver key. "That's okay, I've been looking for it. How much is it?" He asked, turning to the shopkeeper with a smile.

"Twenty thousand jewels."

"I wonder how much it is."

"I said twenty thousand jewels."

The blonde man took a deep breath, leaning into the counter towards the woman and showing off his bare arms. "I wonder how much it really is." He said, his muscles flexing as he put on his most charming smile. "Pretty Lady."

The same man walked down the streets of Hargeon, his hands tucked in his pockets and a scowl on his face. He had bought the key, he wanted it after all and it was hard to find, but he had spent far more on it than he had hoped to. "Tch. She only gave me a thousand jewel discount." He grumbled and continued stomping his way through the town. Gritting his teeth, he resisted the urge to kick the wooden cafe sign he passed by. It was better not to draw attention to himself, even though it frustrated him that his sex appeal was only worth a lousy thousand jewels.

His annoyed thoughts were distracted when several men went rushing past him, nearly bowling him over in their haste. He watched after them, more startled than annoyed, as the men gathered together with other men in a circle in the center of town.

"A famous mage is in town, I heard she's smoking hot!"

"It's Salamander-sama!"

The blonde carefully stepped to the side as two more men went running by again, nearly foaming at the mouth as they spoke. Something in the man's mind clicked though when he heard the name. "Salamander.. I wonder if they mean that mage that can use fire magic that can't be bought in stores!" Curiously he approached the crowd, wondering just how hot this supposed babe was. She certainly seemed popular.

* * *

"I ended up riding the train twice."

"You're so bad with transportation."

"And I'm hungry..."

"We don't have any money."

The rosy haired woman frowned as she and her dog companion walked down the cobblestone street. Her stomach still felt queasy and she pushed back the horrifying memory of the double train ride she had taken. She really never wanted to experience that again, let alone think about it. Adjusted the strap of her heavy backpack, she sighed. "Hey, Happy, they probably meant Igneel when they said Salamander, right?" She asked, a hint of anxiety in her voice.

Happy looked up at her friend and smiled reassuringly. "Yup, I can only think of Igneel when I hear of a Dragon of Fire."

"That's what I thought too..." The woman agreed, eyes downcast. A smile then lifted onto her face, her mood picking up at these new prospects. "I finally found him! Thanks, Happy, I feel a little bit better now!"

"Aye."

The girl looked forward at the path before them with renewed spirit and that's when she spotted a group of people gathered up just ahead. With her advanced hearing she picked out the name "_Salamander_" several times from the crowds' cheers. Her face lit up again. "Speak of the Devil!" She exclaimed and quickened her pace to a near run.

The dog cheered, hearing the same name being called within the crowd, and followed her lead. "Aye!"

* * *

It didn't really surprise the blonde that the group was consistent of just men. This lady was supposed to be beautiful, after all. But shouldn't there be some woman curious about the mage, at least for her magic, too? He wondered silently to himself as he pushed his way through the crowd and towards the front. All doubtful thoughts he had were quickly dropped, however, at the sight of the woman before him.

"Oh ho, I'm simply flattered. You're all too much." The woman cooed to the crowd, her hand delicately brushing aside one of the dark blue stands of her bangs. Her busty chest bounced as she turned, casting a flirtatious smile in every direction. Her gaze finally landed on the blonde man and he gulped as the woman winked at him.

"Wha-why is my chest beating so hard?" He frantically thought as the woman turned away again, her long cloak floating around her and her short hair shifting from her movements. The man's thoughts were completely becoming filled with this woman's visage. Whether if it was because she was a powerful mage or if it was her good looks, he was feeling too enraptured by her to discern. All he knew was that he wanted—no, needed—her.

As he stretched out a hand to grab the Salamander for himself, he could vaguely make out a loud, decidedly female, voice repeatedly calling out "Igneel!" from off to his right. The blonde, though still in a haze, looked in the direction of the call, but all he saw was a spiky, pink blob of hair bobbing up and down as its owner tried to pushed her way through the crowd. When the fanboys wouldn't budge, in a flash of pink she disappeared again, only to reappear between the legs of one of the men.

It was when, louder than the last times, the new arrival shouted out again the same thing as before that the blonde snapped out of his daze. He watched the scene unfold in a disoriented state, feeling as though he had just woken up in a strange place he didn't remember falling asleep at, as the woman got to her feet and the smile dropped from her face. She and the Salamander exchanged silent looks until finally one of them spoke.

"Who are you?" The pink haired woman asked the Salamander, pointing a confused finger in her direction.

The Salamander paled but quickly recovered from her shock. Placing a hand under her chin, she tilted her head to the side and smiled smugly with a thin eyebrow arching upward. "Perhaps you know me as Salamander?"

Before the words had even finished leaving her mouth, the pink haired woman and her dog were already walking away. "A-already gone?!" Salamander exclaimed, her jaw dropping. The woman didn't get too far away though as several of the Salamander's fans dragged her back, pulling on her by her scarf.

"Just who do you think you are dissing a great mage like that? That was totally rude!" One shouted followed by a chorus of agreements.

Another man grabbed onto her shoulder. "Apologize to Salamander-sama right this instance!"

The blonde man was about to step forward to stop them when the Salamander herself hushed the crowd with her placating tone. "Now now, that's enough, boys." She cooed. "I'm sure that she didn't mean it. All is forgiven."

A collective soft sigh filtered throughout the crowd of men and the ones holding onto the pink haired woman quickly released her.

"You're so kind!" They fawned and gushed.

The blonde man narrowed his eyes at the Salamander as she brushed off their compliments. Walking up the woman, the Salamander pulled out a piece of paper and a pen, and in an elaborate manner, scrawled her signature onto it. "Have my signature. You can show it off to your friends." The Salamander told her, offering the paper to the girl sitting sprawled out on the ground where the men left her. Several males voiced their jealousy, while many still awed over the fire mage for her charity.

Analyzing the paper shoved in front of her face, the woman was silent for a moment before scrunching up her nose in distaste. "I don't want it."

The men quickly threw her out again.

"Get lost!" They called as she laid motionless on the ground where they had tossed her. Her strange blue dog hovered over her as the girl mumbled out in a low voice, "It wasn't him." and the dog gave her a sad look.

Back in the group of men the Salamander, clapped her hands to gain their attention again. "Well I do appreciate your enthusiastic welcome," she smiled at them. "But I have some important business to take care of at the port, so I simply must be going." With a snap of her finger, bright violent flames jutted out from beneath her feet and swirled around her. The flames grew and lifted her up above the crowd.

The Salamander paused a few yards above them. "I'm having a party on boat tonight," she announced from atop her flames, her arm moving out in a flourish to indicate the crowd as a whole. "You're all invited, please be sure to come!"

And with that she jetted off, leaving behind her groupies as they called back their eager promises of attending. The pink haired woman had to stop herself from gagging as she sat upright again, watching the Salamander go. "What is she?" She questioned with an annoyed tone.

"She is really disgusting."

The woman jumped at the unexpected response and both her and Happy turned their heads around to see who had spoken. She wore a bored expression as she sized up the blonde man. He was wearing long brown boots, a pair of worn looking jeans and a white sleeveless shirt, and his hair was loose, falling just short of his shoulders. She noticed nothing too outstanding about him, but was taken aback when the blonde suddenly beamed at them. "Thanks for earlier!" He said cheerfully, offering his hand to help her stand.

The woman gazed at the hand suspiciously before slowly accepting it. The man grinned wider as he pulled her up and not letting go of her hand, shook it.

"I'm Luke."

* * *

Luke tried to keep a pleasant expression on his face as bits and pieces of food sprayed from across the booth and onto him. He raised his hands to make a shield from the particles but he couldn't block them all and some still hit his face. Chuckling, and very much so trying his best not to get angry, he wiped what he hoped was mashed potatoes off his brow.

"Yhur ah naiz burzon." The pink haired woman mumbled, pieces of her cheeseburger flying out and hitting the table as she spoke. The blonde cringed slightly and could only guess what she meant as the dog beside her voiced his agreement to her comment, which he didn't understand either.

"Well, uh, haha... You're Happy and Natsu, right?" Luke asked with a small, nervous laugh. Seeing the two across from him nod, he continued. "I can't really understand what you're saying, so just eat slowly, alright?" Pausing to wipe something else off his face again, he then added quietly, "otherwise things will keep splashing everywhere." He didn't voice aloud his woes over losing the thousand jewels he saved earlier. He could cry about that later.

"That Salamander lady was using a magic called Charm." Luke began to explain as Natsu and Happy continued eating. "It's a magic that attracts other people's hearts to the caster and was banned several years ago. The fact that that lady was using it to gain all those guys' attention...how disgusting. Though, thanks to you two jumping in like that, the charm on me wore off."

"I zee." Natsu nodded, only half paying attention as she tore into a giant chicken leg.

"I may look like this but I'm a mage too." Luke said with feigned nonchalance, his smile giving way to his obvious pride of the statement. "I'm not a member of any guild yet, though." He paused, realizing what he said. Raising a hand to his chin, he carefully thought over what the easiest way to explain it to the pair. "See a guild.. is an association of mages. It mediates jobs and other information to its mage members. Mages are not considered fully fledged until they work for a guild, though."

Natsu opened her mouth to speak—not to eat for once—but Luke continued talking, interrupting her. "But! But! There are many guilds all over the world and it's pretty tough to get into the guilds that are popular." He spoke, his hands moving animatedly as he went on. "Many great mages are members of the one I aim to get into. Aah..What should I do?! I want to get in, but I bet it'll be a challenge..."

Once more Natsu tried to say something, only to again be cut off by Luke. "Ah, sorry you wouldn't understand a story from the world of mages, would you?" He stated rather than asked, waving her off with an embarrassed smile. Calming down, he smiled lightly at the two. "But I will surely join that guild, one day. Then I'm sure I'll be able to even take on many big jobs there."

"I...I see." Natsu managed to say, looking a bit speechless now that Luke had finished.

"You talk a lot." Happy noted, a large bone sticking out of his mouth.

"Oh, by the way, aren't you guys looking for someone?" Luke asked curiously, ignoring the canine's comment and leaning his elbows onto the table.

Happy nodded. "Aye. It's Igneel."

"We heard that Salamander was coming to this town, so we came too, but it was the wrong person." Natsu put in, nibbling dejectedly on a piece of bread.

"This Salamander didn't look like a salamander at all." Happy agreed.

Natsu set the bread aside and sighed. "I totally thought that it would be Igneel, too."

"How could a human look like a salamander...?" Luke implored, thoroughly confused as he leaned back in his seat.

"Hrmm? He's not human." Natsu looked at him, chewing on something Luke somehow missed her taking a bite of. After swallowing, she said very matter-of-factly and completely straight-faced, "Igneel is a dragon."

The dozen or more plates on the table clattered as Luke's knee jerked up in surprise and hit it, while his eyes grew to the size of saucers. The blonde tried his best to speak but he couldn't get the words out, his mouth just hanging open instead. He stayed in that frozen state of shock for at least a minute until his brain started to function again and he blurted out, "There is no way something like that would be in the middle of town!"

The expression of surprised recognition Natsu and Happy gave him in return furthered his flabbergasted state. "Don't tell me you just noticed!" They remained gaping at him as he sighed and tried to calm down. These two were certainly strange, or maybe just stupid. Luke wasn't sure.

Setting down the payment for the bill on the cleanest part of the table he could find, Luke stood from the booth and threw his satchel over his shoulder. "I guess I better get going," he said, "but please go ahead and take your time."

As he turned to leave, both Happy and Natsu's expressions turned teary-eyed, startling Luke again and causing him to jump. "Thank you for the meal!" Natsu cried as she crouched to the floor, bowing her head down low until it hit the floor. Happy mirrored her actions, shouting out his thanks as well.

Luke had to hold back a strangled noise of surprise, backing away from them a few steps. "WHA—DON'T...!" He began to shout but cleared his throat and tried to remain calm as all eyes in the diner focused on them. "D-don't worry about it... you helped me out, too. So we're even, right?"

"I don't feel like I helped you at all." Natsu objected, her head still bowed down and her face hidden by her bangs.

"Aye. I don't feel right..." Happy concurred.

"Oh, yeah!" Natsu suddenly exclaimed, her head whipping up and her rosy pink hair falling out of her face. She slammed her fist into her palm, as though to further ensure her light-bulb moment. She quickly scrambled to her feet, Happy following suit, and turned back to the booth to dig through her bag. Luke waited, if only out of pure curiosity to see what she was going to give him. When Natsu turned around again, she was holding the Salamander's signature, the bright red ink and elaborate script taking over the whole paper. "I'll give you this." Natsu laughed, offering the paper to Luke who smacked it out of her hand.

"I don't want it!"

* * *

Luke's eyes idly scanned his surroundings before flicking back down to the magazine in his hands. The pages of Sorcerer Weekly shifted from the soft breeze as he flipped to the next article. After finally finally convincing Natsu and Happy that they were even, he had taken refuge in the local park, just a few blocks down from the diner her had bought them lunch at. The park was mostly empty, save a few people walking by occasionally and couple birds peck at the ground beside him. Some hopefully eyed him for some kind of treat but he paid them no mind as he continued reading.

Sorcerer Weekly was Luke's favorite magazine. It specialize in stories all about magic and mages, often having articles about the happenings of his favorite guilds. Currently he was enjoying the humorous stories of the his favorite guild of them all. "Fairy Tail caused trouble again?!" He smiled without realizing it, reading the article aloud. "'On a job, members took down the thief Devon's family mansion, but also destroyed seven other homes belonging to the townspeople.'"

Luke for silent for a moment before he burst out laughing, clutching his sides. It was just like Fairy Tail to do something like that, it was practically what they were known for.

Recovering from his fit of laughter, Luke sat up straight on the bench and flipped to the next page. On it was an entire interview with the popular Marvin Jay. Luke wouldn't admit it but had bought this issue of Sorcerer mostly because of this interview. He really looked up to Marvin Jay. He was handsome, a total heartthrob to all the ladies in Fiore, and a powerful mage at that. "I wonder if someone like Marvin Jay is as reckless as the rest of the guild..." he wondered aloud, setting aside the magazine having already read the interview twice.

His thoughts wandered back to Fairy Tail. "I wonder how I can join Fairy Tail." He mused to himself, crossing his arms and sighing. "Do I have to learn some really strong magic? I hope there won't be any rigorous tests or interviews." He paused, half in thought, and then smiled brightly. "Fairy Tail...It really is the best."

"I see you want to join Fairy Tail."

Luke nearly jumped half a mile when the voice of the Salamander came from behind him, his head quickly turning back to confirm her sudden presence. "S-salamander?" He stammered, when she began emerging from the bushes.

"I've been looking all over you," she said, pulling leaves out of her hair like it was nothing, "I really wanted to invite a handsome young man like yourself to my party tonight."

"H-huh!?" Luke fumbled both in words and action as he stood, snagging his bag from off the bench and slipping it onto his shoulder. The Salamander flashed him a smile as he took a step back. Steeling his voice, Luke spoke. "Let me tell you something first, your Charm won't work on me anymore. Its weakness is 'awareness' and since I know all about it, it makes that magic useless."

"I knew it!" The Salamander exclaimed, ignoring the glare Luke was giving her and taking a step closer. "I just knew you were a mage, I knew it when our eyes met." She gave him another smile, almost patronizing. "But it's okay, I'll just be happy if you attend my party."

"There is no way I'm going to a party thrown by a nasty woman like you."

The Salamander put on a look of mock hurt. "Me? Nasty?"

"I'm talking about Charm. Do you really want to be that popular?" Luke asked, beginning to feel annoyed with the woman.

"Oh, honey, that's only a trial. I only want to be a celebrity for the party." She explained, waving him off.

Having enough, Luke turned and began to walk away. "You're an idiot," he decided, shaking his head with a sigh, "you're not even close to being a popular mage."

The Salamander made an indignant noise behind him and her heels clicked on the stone path as she raced to catch up to him. "Hold on!" She called but Luke ignored plea and picked up speed. "You..." The Salamander began, her voice drifting off before picking up again. "You want to join Fairy Tail, right?"

That stopped Luke in right in his tracks.

Warily, he turned his head back to to face the woman and pleased with herself for gaining his attention again, she continued. "Have you ever heard of Salamander," the woman grinned, placing a hand under her chin in a manner similar to how she had earlier with Natsu, "from Fairy Tail?"

Luke began to sweat nervously. "I..have!" He admitted, then processing the information, exclaimed, "You're one of the mages of Fairy Tail?!"

The Salamander looked triumphant. "Indeed. If you want to join, I can even put in a good word about you to the master."

That was enough for Luke. He quickly strided back to her, pressing his arm against hers and putting on a smile. "It's a lovely night for a party, don't you say?" He said, missing the Salamander's comment about his easy personality. This was his moment. "Can I really join Fairy Tail?" He asked eagerly.

"Of course!" The Salamander affirmed with a wink. "You just gotta keep this business about Charm between you and me."

"It's a deal!"

"Perfect." Salamander clapped her hands together and began walking away, heading towards the port. When she was a few feet away, she called back, "I'll see you at the party!"

"Yes, ma'am!" He called back in reply, and once she was out of earshot he let out a whoop. This was finally happening. He could finally join the guild of his dreams, and all he had to do was suck up to that idiot until he got in. It was a piece of cake.

Finally, he felt, things were starting to look up.

* * *

Night soon fell on the port city of Hargeon. The crescent moon casting a soft glow on the bay and illuminating the waters, the everyday clamor of the day calming down to a quiet lull. Happy and Natsu had long since left the diner and were now just exploring the town on their way to find an inn. Happy was danced about on the stone railing, while Natsu strolled along side. Though they hand't achieved what they come there to do, Natsu felt oddly satisfied.

"Aah, I ate a lot!" She cheered, patting her stomach in emphasis.

"Aye." Happy couldn't help but agree. The dog cast her eyes out at the scenery, pausing her steps to enjoy the view of the port from so high up, when she noticed a large ship just departing. "Oh yeah, the Salamander said she was having a party on a ship. I wonder if that's the one." She mused. At the mere mention of the craft, Natsu leaned over, clutching her stomach and feeling the wave of dizziness come on.

"I feel sick..." She wheezed.

"Don't get motion sickness jut by imaging it." Happy chided with a light shake of her head, her fluffy ears swaying at the movement.

Natsu frowned at her friend and continued trying to ward off thoughts of rocking transportation. She had began to sober again when they both heard an excited shout of a man to their right. "Look, that's the ship! That's Salamander-sama's ship!" Looking over curiously and with a hint of annoyance at the mention of the ship again, Natsu watched as the man leaned away from the railing and gave a long sigh. "I wanted to go to that party, too."

"Salamander?" His friend questioned.

"You don't know about her? She's a great mage who's currently in town." The first man explained, looking out longingly at the ship as it pulled further out to sea. "I heard that she's a mage from that famous Fairy Tail guild."

Natsu had looked away, disinterested in the men's conversation but froze, along with Happy, upon hearing the last sentence. "Fairy Tail?" She slowly echoed, turning back to them. Her gaze shifted to the lumbering ship again and instantly she felt her stomach twist. Crouching down, she leaned against the railing for support and scrutinized the ship, deep in thought.

Just above a whisper, Natsu repeated the name.

"Fairy Tail."

* * *

The festivities had begun as soon as the ship left port, setting out into the open seas. The lower deck was alight with laughter and the cheerful chatter of its male guests as they mingled together. Luke, not particularly interested in the only topic among his fellow party-goers—that being the Salamander and her greatness—stayed off to the side and enjoyed the smell of the fresh salt air and his mind filled with thoughts of joining the guild of his dreams. He was so lost in his pleasant musings that he hardly notice the approach of one of the deckhands, a burly looking man who was surely not one of the guests. Luke greeted him and was then informed by the man that the host wished for him to join her in her private suite.

After leading Luke down to the room, the deckhand left again, leaving the town alone. Salamander was quick to invite Luke a seat in a plush sofa while she retrieved a fresh bottle of wine for the two to share.

"Luke, huh?" The Salamander hummed while setting two wine glasses on the table between them. "That's a nice name."

Luke put on as pleasant of a smile as he could. "Thanks." He replied simply, nervously he placing his hands in his lap. Though he was trying to be relaxed and as nice to her as possible—_for Fairy Tail_, he repeated to himself—he still felt uneasy being alone with the woman.

He watched her carefully as she uncorked the bottle and began pouring generous amounts of the dark red liquid into his glass. "Let's first have a toast with a nice glass of wine, shall we?" She prompted, setting the bottle aside.

"Don't you have to attend to the other guests?" Luke asked, something poking the back of his mind and insisting what he was missing something. Something screaming_ DANGER_. He pushed the feeling back.

The Salamander shrugged and gave him a smile. "It's okay, I just feel like drinking with you." Snapping her fingers, the wine in the glass began to rise and formed into round orbs the size of grapes. Gently flicking her wrist, the droplets started to float towards Luke. "Open your mouth and wine pearls with slowly float in."

"_How annoying—!_" Luke thought, biting his tongue to stop the words from slipping out. He couldn't risk upsetting this woman and losing his best chance at getting into Fairy Tail. Bracing himself, he opened his mouth to accept the floating drink when finally that persistent poking in his mind became an all out shove. **_THIS WAS A TRAP_**.

Rushing to his feet, Luke used the back of his hand hand to swat away the droplets and fixed the Salamander a level glare. "What are you planning?" Luke demanded through gritted teeth. The Salamander said nothing but quirked an eyebrow at him. Annoyed at her lack of cooperation, he continued. "There were sleeping drugs in there, weren't there?"

The Salamander's look of surprise faded and was replaced by a dark grin. "Ooo, so you figured me out. How did you know?"

"Don't get me wrong, I want to join Fairy Tail but I have no intentions of becoming your man." Luke stated firmly, his fists clenched at his sides.

This only seemed to egg the Salamander on. "You're a bad boy," she sneered, her head lowered so that her eyes were hidden behind her bangs, "if you were to just sleep peacefully like the others, you wouldn't have to get hurt..."

Dread coiled in Luke's stomach but he had no time to react as strong hands wrapped around his arms, holding him in place. He looked back at his captors, not surprised to come face to face with the dirty grins of the crewmen. "What's going on?!" He demanded but the men ignored him, answering his question instead with their dark leers.

"Ooo, good job Salamander-sama." The one holding onto his right arm praised.

"We haven't had a pretty boy like this in a while." Another commented.

"Who are you?!" Luke tried again, his voice raised louder this time.

A hand quickly grabbed him under his chin, forcing his head to face forward. Luke couldn't stop the shuddered that ran down his spine at the sudden proximity of the Salamander, only mere inches from him now, a hideous grin plastered to her lips and her eyes flashing darkly. "Welcome to out slave ship." She said without being the slightest bit welcoming. "I must ask that you remain quiet silent until we reach Bosco, young man."

"Eh?!" Luke choked out, a fear welling up in his gut as he registered what she had said. "Wha, Bosco...I thought you were taking me to Fairy Tail!?"

Salamander stepped away, her brow cocking up. She replied, her tone bored, "I told you, it's a _slave_ ship. I brought you along as merchandise from beginning. There's no use fighting now."

_This wasn't happening... No, this actually was happening._ Realization dawned on Luke then, his body staying frozen in disbelief. He could feel the grip of the crewmen tighten on his arms and the angry buzz of their voices in his ears, but his mind was to clouded to register their words. "_How could anybody do something like this?_" He thought angrily, clenching his teeth to restrain the shaking that rattled his body.

It wasn't until he felt cold hands reach under his collar and tug at the thin chain resting there, that Luke snapped to focus. He watched, powerless as the Salamander tugged the chain right off his neck and tossed it aside, holding up the key ring and the half-dozen keys that jangle on it into the light. The woman hummed, inspecting the objects in her hand. "Gate keys, huh? So you're a Stellar Spirit mage, I see."

"Stellar Spirit? What is that?" The crewman one holding on to Luke's left arm spoke up. "We have no clue about magic."

"Don't worry about it," Salamander replied in a bored tone, spinning the keys around her finger by the ring as she moved towards the center of the room. "Only contracted mages can use this magic. Meaning, it's useless to me." She stopped walking, turning around to face Luke and the men, and with a smug smile on her face, she tossed the keys right out the window. Luke's heart dropped completely as he heard the splash from outside, the sound confirming his worst fear.

He felt angry tears prick his eyes. _So this was a mage of Fairy Tail!_

On the other side of the room, he heard the sizzling noise and looked up with wide eyes to see Salamander pulling a branding iron from the hot flames. Slowly she began to approach him with it, a twisted smile on her face. "Let me brand you first. It'll be a little hot, but please bear with it."

_Abusing magic...  
_  
Salamander stepped closer.

_Cheating people...  
_  
He could feel the heat of the iron growing closer.

_and preforming slavery?!_

"You are the worst mage ever." Luke seethed, his teeth grinding together painfully and tears stinging his eyes. Salamander payed the remark no mind as she continued to inched the iron towards him and Luke braced himself for the worst.

_**CRASH!**_

Luke's eyes shot open as a a loud boom filled the room, splinters and clouds of smoke raining down from the ceiling. Both him and Salamander whipped their heads up at the unexpected crash, the crew gaping and releasing their hold on Luke in their surprise. Then, among the other debris was a woman. Her red coat flared up around her, her hand slamming into the floor as she landed. Her expression was serious, without a single hint of humor to it. Her white scarf fluttered, falling against her chest as the rest of the wood clattered around her. Luke recognized her instantly.

"W-why it's that brat from earlier!" Salamander stammered first.

"Natsu?!" Luke blurted, wiping aside the tears that had fallen with his now freed hands.

The girl brushed aside a strand of her salmon colored hair, standing up among the debris but quickly crumpled against the wall. Her face instantly turned green and she looked ready to barf. "No, I-I can't take it." She manged, clenching her stomach.

Luke had to try not to fall over himself. "Did she really already have motion sickness?!" He thought wildly to himself, his jaw falling open.

"What is going on?!" Salamander's angry shout rang out in the chaos, her voice raising with each word. "How did this brat just fall from the sky?!"

From between the new hole in the ceiling, the sound of soft fluttering could be heard and a blob of blue fur emerged. "Luke, what are you doing?" The canine asked as she drifted downward towards him, her white wings holding her afloat.

"Happy?!" Luke sputtered. He was having trouble taking this all in but he shook off the million questions he had for the _flying_ dog. They could wait. "I was tricked. She told me she'd help me join Fairy Tail...and I...believed her." He confessed shamefully. From beside him, Natsu's body stiffened and her breathes becoming more ragged.

"We'll talk about that later." Happy said as she swooped down, grabbing onto Luke by the collar of his dress coat and pulling him upward. "Let's get out of here!"

Luke bit back a sound of surprise as the crewmen, having finally now caught on, reached out to grab him. As he dodged to the right, avoiding a large hand as it tried to take purchase of his ankle, he spotted Natsu still curled up against the wall. "Wha—wait, what about Natsu?!"

"I can't carry two people at a time." Came the dog's unconcerned reply.

"Oh..crap."

From below, Salamander's enraged voice called after them. "I won't let you get away!" Vibrant purple flames swirled around her hands, growing into a large beam that shot out the hole, narrowly missing Luke and Happy as they soared away. Annoyed, the Salamander dissipated her magic and turned to her crew. "Don't let them get away!" She barked. "It'll be a problem if they report us to the council members!"

"Y-yes, ma'am!" The crew obliged, grabbing their guns from off the wall and loading them. Soon the sounds of their fire filled the air as they took aim on Luke and Happy. Several bullets grazed past them and Luke was thankful that they were such bad shots. He knew, though, that sooner or later, they would be hit.

"Luke, listen."

"What is it at a time like this, Happy?!" The blonde snapped, just as a bullet nearly hit his shoulder.

"My transformation magic has worn off." The dog said, her white wings now missing. Luke had only seconds before gravity took control and he felt himself falling, faster and faster until his body hit the water with a big slash. His body felt heavy as it sunk and Luke's mind switched back and forth between Fairy Tail and rescuing the hostage men aboard the ship. He couldn't believe someone from Fairy Tail was like that but he had to focus on the matter at hand before he could worry about anything else. He didn't have much time.

He pushed his way though the water, his eyes stinging from the salty liquid. Out of the corner of his eye he could vaguely make out Happy's shape as the dog struck against a rock. With the dog down for the count, Luke was left to search for his keys on his own. Thankfully, he spotted them stuck on a shallow rock just a short distance away.

He swam over, quickly snatching up the keys and pushed his way upward. His lungs were burning with the need for air and he gasped as he broke the surface, taking in several greedy lung fulls of oxygen. Once he had had enough, Luke pulled off the first key on his ring and raised it into the air. "Here I come."

"Fai..ry.."

Several eyes turned to the woman who had been quiet—except for the panting and occasional gagging noises—up until now, as she forced herself to her knees. Salamander narrowed her eyes at her. "Huh?"

"...Tail..." She continued, her breathing getting heavier and her glare bloodshot, "...you.."

"Open! A door to the treasure vase palace! Aquarius!"

The water rippled as Luke turned the key in the water and a bright grow followed, illuminating the dark seas. A large geyser of water jetted up in a fast stream, a man emerging from the waves. His long, turquoise hair whipped around him as his body pulled from the water, revealing his deep blue fish tail which was studded with gold rings. In his hands he held a large urn, in a light blue color, above his head as his body levitated upward till it was floating just above the waters surface.

Happy, who was clinging onto Luke's head, let out an excited cry and Luke flashed a proud smile. "I'm a Stellar Spirit mage. I can use the keys of the gates to summon Stellar Spirits from another world." He told the dog, then brushing aside his drenched bangs from his face, he looked up at the merman and pointed his free hand towards the ship. "Now, Aquarius! Use your power to send that ship back to the coast."

Aquarius didn't respond right away, his gaze only slowly shifting to look at Luke. "Tch."

"Did you just reply with '_tch_'?!" Luke yelped, ignoring Happy's comment to not be picky about such a thing.

"You are such a noisy kid." Aquarius grumbled, the urn in his hand beginning to suck in the water around him in torrents. "Let me tell you one thing." The Stellar Spirit said, his voice dangerously low. Waves rose around his form, the power emanating off him increasing as the jar filled. "If you ever drop my key again... I will kill you."

Luke whimpered a quiet apology to the spirit as the waves continued to build and with a roar, Aquarius used his magic to create a tidal wave. The powerful flow of water washed away the ship and anyone nearby. "Don't flush me along with it!" Luke yelled as he was dragged down by the currents.

Everything inside the ship lurched as it ran aground, the craft tilting as it sled across the sand of the beach. Anxious and surprised shouts of the towns people could be heard from outside the ship, as Salamander shakily got to her feet. "What's going on?!" She demanded in loud voice, angrily pushing her wet bangs out of her face. She cast a glance around her crewmen as they untangled themselves from each other and stood up as well.

"It stopped."

Salamander jerked her head back, facing the pink haired brat who had caused this whole mess.

"The rocking..." she mumbled, wiping the back of her hand against her mouth, "it stopped."

"What were you thinking?! How could you wash me away, too?!" Luke fumed, throwing his soaked dress coat down onto the wet sand of the shore beside Happy.

Aquarius pressed a hand to his own forehead, shaking his head regrettably. "My bad... I flushed along the ship as well."

...

_Wait._

"Were you aiming at me?!"

"Anyway," the spirit said, regaining composure, "don't call me for awhile. I'm going on a week-long trip with my girlfriend." As his form started to dissipate and return to the Spirit World, he repeated, "With my girlfriend."

Luke grit his teeth as Aquarius flashed away. "He is so selfish!"

"You don't really get along." Happy commented as she pushed himself out of the sand, shaking her head to get he particles off.

Taking a deep breath, Luke looked over at the all the men who were exiting the ship and wobbling confused along the beach. "But I did it. Once the army hears about this and arrive, all the men will be safe." A slow, proud, smile appeared on his face. "I'm so nice—!"

"Ack! We forgot Natsu inside." Happy said, walking away towards the ship.

The men began to form a semi-circle around Natsu, still keeping their distance as she stood. She wobbled a little, her balance still thrown off just as the doors of the room were thrown open. Luke burst in, his entire body drenched and was panting from running. "Natsu—! Are you alright—" Luke's words cut off immediately when his relief upon seeing she was okay turned into surprise at the expression Natsu had. She looked down right pissed.

"Brat...you shouldn't get on other people's ships without permission." The Salamander said, drawing Luke's attention. She scratched the side of her face, her eyes bored but there was an a certain edge of annoyance to them. Natsu didn't respond, instead pulling off her dampened coat, taking off the left sleeve first. "Hey, throw her out, quick." The Salamander ordered her crewmen.

"Yes, ma'am!"

Luke hurriedly pulled his key ring out. "Oh no, you don't. Leave it to me—"

"Don't worry." Happy interrupted, her tone calm, halting Luke in his movements. "I forgot to mention, but Natsu is a mage too."

Luke's eyes widened. His head quickly shot back to Natsu as the woman threw her coat off to the side, the crewmen rushing forward. "Are you a member of Fairy Tail?" She addressed the Salamander coolly.

Salamander sneered, "What about it?!"

"Let me take a good look at your face." Natsu said, her right arm raising. The Salamander and her locked gazes, the tension in the air intensifying. A deadly gleam flashed in Natsu eyes as the crewmen finally reached her and with one swift movement, using only the bare palm of her hand, she shoved aside one of the men who slammed into the other. Both went toppling over each other the side as Natsu, in a loud, clear voice, announced, "I am Natsu of Fairy Tail! And I have never scene you before!"

The Salamander gave a cry of surprise, her expression astonished and wide-eyed, while Luke felt himself go rigid and his mouth falling open. "Fairy Tail?!" He stammered. "Natsu is a mage of Fairy Tail?!"

The proof was there. Stamped proudly in a blazing red color, was the guild mark of Fairy Tail on Natsu's right shoulder.

"Wha..that mark!"

"She's the real deal, Nora-san!"

The Salamander frantically looked at her crewmen. "I-idiot! Don't call me by that name!"

"Nora..." Happy repeated, the green kerchief around her neck shifting to reveal her own guild mark, "Nora of the Prominence. She was banned from a mage guild 'Titan Nose' several years ago."

Luke looked down at the dog. "I've heard of her.. She committed several thefts using magic and got banished."

"I don't care if you're a bastard or a good person." Natsu said through clenched teeth, calling back the room's attention. "But I can't forgive anybody for using our name."

"Wh-whatever you're just a noisy brat!" Salamander blurted, the purple flames returning and building off. Thrusting her hand forward, Salamander let loose the flames on Natsu and engulfed her. Luke moved to go help her but a paw and a fluttering white wing shot out in front of him, blocking his path. Something in the dog's expression told him to wait.

"Hmph. That was easy." The Salamander laughed with a flick of her cape. She wore an accomplished, dirty grin as she watched the flames crack. She turned to walk away and deal with the other two, when a voice from inside the flames caught her attention. She hesitantly glanced back, her eyes wide.

"Awful."

Luke's jaw dropped, for what seemed like the millionth time that day, as the flames surrounding Natsu began to lessen and the sound of chewing was heard over the crackling of the fire. _How was she even alive?_ Luke wondered as he watched pie-eyed as only a layer of flames now coated the woman still standing. She made eating motions and more and more the flames disappeared.

"What is this? Are you really a fire mage?" Natsu continued, taking another bite of the flames. "I've never tasted such awful 'fire.'"

Finally, it registered for Luke what she was doing.

_SHE WAS EATING THE FLAMES_.

Natsu gave a satisfied laugh, resting one hand on her hips while the other wiped at her grinning mouth. "Thanks for the meal."

"Wha-wha-wha..." Salamander stammered as she backed up, a look of utter surprise on her face. "WHAT IS SHE...?!"

"Fire..!?"

"D-did she just eat _fire_?!"

Happy smiled knowingly at the confusion of the crew. "Fire won't work on Natsu."

"I've never seen such a magic...!" Luke gaped, feeling just as bewildered as the rest were.

"Now that I've eaten, I can feel my power" Natsu said, her head and shoulders leaning over as she crouched onto her knees. The temperature in the air spiked as she sprung back up, her pink hair whipping wildly around her face. "HERE I COME!"

Salamander's body froze in place, her mouth still hanging open and her face pale. Over the sound of her own heart racing she heard her right-hand man mumbling something, then his loud shout of recognition as he pointed to Natsu. "Nora-san! I've seen her before!"

Nora seemed to unfreeze, stumbling back at his words. "Huh?!"

"Rosy hair... a scale-like scarf..." the crewman continued, his entire being shaking as Natsu began cupping her hands over her mouth, her cheeks puffed out. "There's no doubt about it..! She's the real—"

His sentence was cut off when a fiery stream of heat shot out from Natsu's mouth, blasting Nora and her crew. They cried out in pain as the blazing hot flames engulfed them, charring their skin and burning away at their clothes. The rest of the cabin caught ablaze, as realization dawned on Luke.

"Salamander." He whispered, finishing the man's sentence. _Natsu was the real Salamander_.

Nora pushed her self up off the ground, her vision blurred by the intense heat of the flames. As it cleared, sheer panic filled her upon seeing Natsu's hand catch ablaze with vibrant flames. The flaming woman pulled her arm back, her face half hidden in shadows but her emotions obvious.

"Remember it well." Natsu said, leaning back before sprinting forward, her fist aimed directly at Nora. With flash of bright flames, the fist connected with Nora's jaw sending her flying to the ground and flipping over. Her body lay motionless as Natsu stood over her, smoke curling at her feet and all around her.

"Eating fire and punching with fire...is it really magic?" Luke asked, more to himself than anyone.

His eyes darted to Happy as the canine answered, "Dragon's lungs spew flames, it's scales melting the flames, and it's nails coated in flames. This is an ancient spell that converts the body to a dragon's constitution."

"What's that?!" Luke stammered, leaning against the wall for support as the ship shook again from another blast from Natsu as she kicked Nora outside a whole the ship's side and onto the sandy beach.

"It's originally a dragon intercepting magic." Happy concluded.

"I see..."

"Dragon Slayer! Igneel taught Natsu this."

Luke paused, his brows furrowing. "Isn't it a little strange that a dragon taught someone how to slay a dragon?" He wasn't surprised at all at Happy's astounded response. "But you didn't doubt it at all, huh?"

Sighing, Luke looked away from the dog and scanned the area. He could hear Natsu's laughter as she continued to brawl with the fake-Salamander and her crew, a loud crash sound following every blow she made. "Dragon slayer..." He mumbled, feeling the nervous sweat as it rolled down his neck, "amazing...amazing but..." He watched as Natsu took a large wooden mast and began sweep it around in a circle, nailing members of the crew and anything else that got in the way. "BUT YOU'RE OVERDOING IT!"

Luke slid down the side of the ship, panic rising upon seeing more carnage at every turn. "The port is all messed up!" He cried, his hands clutching his at his head.

"Aye."

"Don't give me 'aye.'" Luke snapped at Happy, his hands dropping to his side._ This was a disaster... _He thought, looking at Nora as she lay knocked out in the surf. He was about to turn to leave when he heard the sound of marching from the streets behind him. He recognized them right away "The military—!"

The words had barely left his mouth as he was forcefully yanked forward and he stumbled, his eyes locking on the hand held tight on his wrist. They traveled up and froze on the red fairy mark. "Crap!" Natsu said nervously as she pulled him along. "Let's run!"

"Why me?!" Luke cried.

At his question, Natsu looked back at Luke and a wide smile adorning her face. "You want to join Fairy Tail, right?!"

_Huh..?_

"Then come with me!"

The look of surprise on Luke's face quickly dissipated into a smile of his own and he nodded vigorously. "Okay!" He beamed. Quickening his pace, he fell into step with her and Happy.

_He was going to Fairy Tail._

* * *

A wrinkled hand slammed against the table, the thick beaded bracelet around its owners wrist clicking against the marble surface. Beneath the hand was a crinkled newspaper, the large print of the headlines telling of more destructive misadventures of a certain mage guild. Several voices around the table were shouting their outrage over the news.

"Those idiots of Fairy Tail did it again!"

"They destroyed half the port, can you believe that?!"

"I won't be surprised if an entire town disappears one day!"

"Don't jinx it, I feel like they really might do that."

"According to the government, they did it to arrest the criminal Nora."

"Oh geez.."

"I like those idiots though."

All eyes turned to the end of the table where sat a deep blue haired young woman, the distinct red tattoo running along the right side of her face crinkling as she laughed. One of the others at the table snapped at her to shut up while the others seated there discussed the mage guild's merits.

"Just let them be." The same woman as before sighed, her laughter subsiding. She leaned back in her chair, smiling slightly. "If we didn't have idiots like that... this world wouldn't be any fun."

* * *

Time for another fic from me I guess.

Yes, I will be writing chapters for every single manga arc in Fairy Tail, only with the characters being genderbent (following Mashima's and my own designs for them). I've got a looooong road ahead of me but I hope you'll stick around and enjoy. There will be more NaLu and other couple hints in this fic than in the manga but, for the most part, I'll be sticking to the original story as much as possible. The most liberties I'll be taking are with the interactions between the characters and other minor things (which I'll likely be taking more of these liberties as the fic goes on, as the relationships will develop differently due to their switched genders).

Stay tuned for chapter two sometime soon!


End file.
